Cardiac-valve prostesis

Abstract

A cardiac-valve prosthesis (1), which can be used, for example, as valve for percutaneous implantation, comprises an armature (2) for anchorage of the valve prosthesis in the implantation site. The armature (2) defines a lumen for passage of the blood flow and supports a set of leaflets (3) comprising prosthetic valve leaflets (3a, 3b, 3c), which, under the action of the blood flow, are able to move into a radially divaricated condition to enable the flow of the blood through said lumen in a first direction and a radially contracted condition, in which the valve leaflets (3a, 3b, 3c) co-operate with one another and block the flow of the blood through the prosthesis (2) in the opposite direction. The armature (2) comprises: two annular parts (20a, 20b) connected by anchorage formations (22), which extend as connection of the annular parts (20a, 20b), with the capacity of projecting radially with respect to the prosthesis (1); and supporting formations (24) for the set of leaflets (3), said formations being carried by at least one of the annular parts (20a, 20b) so as to leave substantially disengaged the aforesaid lumen for passage of the blood.